Naval Air Facility El Centro

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Naval Air Facility El Centro
File:Nafec cl 160.gif
Summary
Airport typeNaval Air Facility
OperatorUnited States Navy
LocationEl Centro, California
BuiltMay 1 1946
In useActive
CommanderCaptain James A. Hubbard
Coordinates32°49′45″N 115°40′18″W / 32.82917°N 115.67167°W / 32.82917; -115.67167
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
8/26 9,503 2,897 PEM
12/30 6,824 2,080 PEM
FAA Airport Diagram

Naval Air Facility El Centro or NAF El Centro (IATA: NJK, ICAO: KNJK, FAA LID: NJK) is a military airport located six miles (10 km) northwest of El Centro, in Imperial County, California, USA.

History

The facility was commissioned on May 1, 1946, as a Naval Air Station. Prior to that, the base was a Marine Corps Air Station. Through the years, Navy El Centro has had several names: Naval Air Facility, Naval Auxiliary Landing Field, Naval Air Station, and the National Parachute Test Range.

For the first 35 years, the mission of NAF El Centro was devoted to aeronautical escape system testing, evaluation, and design. In November 1947, the Parachute Experimental Division from Lakehurst, New Jersey moved to El Centro. In 1951, the Joint Parachute Facility was established and consisted of the Naval Parachute Unit and the Air Force 6511th Test Group (Parachute). The Air Force remained part of El Centro’s test organization for the next 27 years

Current Operations

The facility has two operating runways. The 9,500-foot (2,900 m) east/west runway handles 96 percent of the traffic. It is equipped with a Fresnel Lens Optical Landing System at each approach end as well as lighted carrier deck landing areas at both ends so pilots can simulate carrier landings.

Apart from "touch and go" landings and take-offs, aircrews use the many ranges at NAF El Centro to develop their skills. A remote-controlled target area allows naval aviators to practice ordnance delivery. The desert range is used for air-to-ground bombing, rocket firing, strafing, dummy drops and mobile land target training. The target complex uses the Weapons Impact Scoring System that microwaves target images to a range master control building for immediate verification of weapons delivery accuracy.

The addition of the Display and Debriefing Subsystem, known as DDS, expanded the role of NAF El Centro to include air combat training by utilizing remote television, acoustical and laser scoring systems. The DDS is linked with TACTS to provide a computerized record of the tactics employed by individual aircrews employ and to evaluate the effectiveness of each maneuver. Many believe the training at NAF El Centro is as close as pilots can get to actual air combat.

NAF is the "winter home" of the world-famous Blue Angels, the Navy’s Flight Demonstration Squadron.

Air Show

NAF El Centro is the winter home of the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, The Blue Angels. NAF El Centro historically kicks off the Blue Angels' season with their first air show, traditionally held in March.

Popular culture

Much of the movie "Jarhead" was filmed around El Centro and many of the extras from the movie were from NAF El Centro.

References

External links

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